Regulator



March22,1938. J. A. WIDMYER 2,111,690-

REGULATOR Fil5d Aug. 19, 1936 s She cs-Sheet 1 -3 v 9 Z; 8 73 N of 5 16 r 4 0 i2 INVENT OR Jams: 19. Mnnzx -AORNEY March 22, 1938.

J. A. WIDM ER 2,111,690

REGULATOR Filed Aug. 19, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lg ZEN? 0R J 01:25 A. IDMER BY A ONE!" March J A w E I 2,111,690

REGULATOR Filed Aug. 19, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR JuLEsAJ Yz 23 BY d ap A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REGULATOR Application August 319, 1936, Serial N0. 96,847

9 Claims.

This invention relates to regulators of the type including a condition-responsive unit and means actuated thereby for controlling the application of a medium to prevent any deviation from a predetermined condition.

The present invention has for its purpose the production of a regulator of the mentioned type having a high degree of accuracy, long life and relatively low manufacturing cost.

The various features of the invention will appear from the detailed description and claims when taken with the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the regulating mechanism, the frame and case thereof being omitted; Figs.

2 and 3 are plan views of an overrun or protective mechanism whereby abnormal operations applied by the condition-responsive mechanism will not be transmitted to'the' actuating mechanism of the instrument, Fig. 2 showing the overrun mecho anism in one of its limiting positions and Fig. 3.

condition-responsive unit and the regulating member or members to be selectively positioned; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a similar sectional view taken 'on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively sectional views similar to Figs. 7 and 8 showing the mechanism in a diiferent operating position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a bulb connected by a capillary tube 6, to

a Bourdon spring 1. these elements together constituting a tube system which is filled with a thermosensitive medium. A take-off 8 attached to the free end of .theBourdon spring is connected by a link 9 to a'pen arm bracket Hi. This bracket is pivotally mounted on a pedestal or support ii and carries a pen arm l2-which is provided at its free end with astylus i3 positioned in operative relation to a chart M. This chart is arranged to be rotated by a suitable clock mechanism of which only the hub is illustrated.

The pen arm bracket 10 is connected by a link l6 to the bracket I8 of'a control'arm l9 mounted on the arbor 20 for rotation on a pedestal 'or support 2|. The connection between the link l6 and the control arm bracket is a yielding or "overrun connection, so that if the link it is moved to the right or to the left beyond predetermined limlts, there will be no injury to the control arm bracket or its mounting. This overrun connection which is best illustratedin Figs. 2, 3

and 4 includes an arm 22 to which one end of the link i6 is connected, as indicated at 23, the

arm being fixed to a hub 24 which is rotatable on the arbor 20, previously mentioned as rota- 5 tively mounted in the pedestal or support 2|. The hub 24 has a groove 26 extending around its periphery which groove receives a loop formed at one end of a rod 21 so that the rod can swing in the groove on the hub. A coil spring 23 encircles the hub 24 and has one of its ends hooked to the arm 22 and has its other end hooked to the rod 21 so that the rod and arm are normally in superimposed relation,.being stopped in this position by pin 29 which projects from the arm into engagement with one side of the end portion of the rod. The control arm bracket I8 is also provided with a hub 3|! secured thereto, which hub is attached to the arbor 20. A second coil spring 3| encircles the hub 36 andhas one of its ends engaging the rod 21 while its other end engages a pin 32 projecting upwardly from a part of the bracket l8 so that the rod 21 is normally held against the stop pin 32. Thus the arm 22; the rod 21 and the control arm bracket I 8 are normally held in superimposed relation, but under abnormal forces in either direction these several parts assume respective positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By this arrangement the control arm bracket is accurately centered without any play or lost motion.

The swinging control arm I9 is provided at its free end with a shoe 36 which moves in the arc of a circle but its outward movement with respect to the frame of the instrument, is limited by a strip 31 mounted in spaced relation to the frame.

It will be understood that in response to changes in temperature at the bulb 6, the free end of the Bourdon spring will either wind up or unwind with the result that it will transmit its motion. through the links 9 and I6 to swing the control arm l9 and its shoe 36 in a corresponding manner. In order to sense periodically the position of the shoe 36, there is provided a mechanism to be described, to determine at which side of the 45 control point the shoehappens to be located at any particular time. This mechanism includes a constantly operated driving motor 38 on the shaft 39 of which there is provided a four-point cam 40 (see Figs. 7 and 9). This cam, as it rotates, engages a suitable roller 41 carried on an extension of the follower arm 42 forming a bell-crank lever. The arm 42 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 45 which is supported in parallel relation to the back or frame of the device so that under the control of the cam 48, the arm tends to rock about the shaft. A coil spring 48 normally maintains the arm 42 with its free end in its outward position, as illustrated in Fig. 7, except when it is depressed by cam 48.

There is also pivotally mounted on the shaft 48, a depressor arm 48 which is provided at its free end with a curvedportion 49 bearing a contact plate 58 adjacent the arcuate path of travel of the shoe 38. This plate in certain positions of the control arm encounters the shoe 38 for a purpose to be described. It will be noted that the arm 42 is provided with an extension 41 having mounted therein an adjustable screw to contact an edge of the depressor bar 48. Thus when the arm 42 has its free end swung toward the frame under the action of the roller 4| and cam 48, the screw on this extension will engage the edge of the depressor bar to move the control plate 58 at its free end, toward the frame, thereby spacing the plate 58 from the strip 31 so that the shoe 38 has an opportunity to swing therebetween. The free end 49 of the depressor bar 48 is normally held in its outward position by a coil spring 35, except when it is depressed by the cam 48 through arm 42 and its lug 41.

At an intermediate point on the depressor bar 48 there is pivotally mounted a selector member 52, the rotary movement of this cam about its pivot 53 being limited by a pin 54 projecting from the depressor bar into a notch 55 in the cam. By this arrangement the swinging movement of the cam is limited to movement between its two extreme positions illustrated in Figs. 7 and 9. The selector member 52 1s also provided with a pin 58 projecting therefrom. An upright 51 projecting from the frame terminates in a strip or book 58 in a position to engage one side of the pin 58, while the other side of the pin is engaged by the end portion of the follower arm 42. The selector member 52 is also provided with an extension 58 movable therewith, as will be hereinafter set forth, to project into the path of either of the pins 88 and 8| which function with switch-actuating mechanism to be described, to move electrical switching means either to an open or to a closed condition.

The pin 88 is carried at the free end of one leg of a U-shaped lever 82 which is pivoted for rocking movement on the shaft 83. The shaft 83 is supported, in parallel relation to the shaft 45, in the spaced uprights 84. The pin 8| is similarly carried at the free end of one of the legs of a second U-shaped lever 85 which is likewise pivotally supported on the shaft 83. The U-shaped lever 82 has secured to its upper end a positioning bracket 88 which preferably carries a counterthe pins 13 and 13a in the spaced uprights 14 and is provided with pairs of spring fingers 15, each pair being adapted to resiliently engage a mercury bottle-type switch 18. The U-shaped-lever 82 has apin 11 projecting from the other leg thereof on which the intermediate portion of a lever 18 is .pivotally mounted. One end of this lever is slotted to receive a pin 18 carried on the second leg of the U-shaped member 88, while the other end of the lever 18 is slotted to engage the pivot pin 13 on which one end of the yoke is supported. It will be noted in Figs. 8 and 10 that the positioning bracket 88 is notched as indicated at 83 and 84. These notches are adapted to be engaged by a spring 85 whereby the positioning bracket and the switch yoke actuated thereby are held in the respective positions to which they have been adjusted. The mounting of the U- shaped levers 82 and 85 and their interconnections thru the lever 18 are effective so that when the pin 8| on the lever 85 is depressed toward the frame of the instrument, the lower end of the other lever 82 and the pin 88 carried thereon, are moved outwardly with respect to the mentioned frame. Similarly when the pin 88 on lever 82 is depressed, the lower end of the lever 85 and the pin 8| carried thereon are moved outwardly from the frame of the instrument. These movements of levers 82 and 85 are effected as follows see Fig. 6) When the pin 68 on the free end of the lever 82 is depressed, the mentioned lever swings about the shaft 83; thus the opposite end of the lever 82 carrying the pin." is elevated. Since the upper end of the lever 18 swings about the fixed pivot pin 13, when the pin is elevated, it swings the lower end of the lever 18 outward about the pivot 13. Thls elevates the pivot pin 19 connected to the lower end of the lever 18 and to one of the arms of the lever 85, so that the free end of the lever 85 and its pin 8| are elevated. Reversely, when pin 8| on lever 85 is depressed, the pivot pin 19 carried by this lever is depressed with the result that the lever 18 is swung to its depressed position about the pivot pin 13. In this way the pivot pin 11 depresses the upper end of the lever 82 causing it to swing its opposite end outward to elevate the pin 88. Thus the levers 82, 85 and 18 constitute a reversible lever system, which is effective to rock a controlling switch or other con trolling member from one of its alternate positions to the other.

Briefly, the operation of the control mechanism is as follows: If the temperature about the bulb 5 increases, the therm'osensitive medium in the tube system expands causing the Bourdon and 9. The roller 4| carried on the follower arm 42 in following the contour of the cam, peri0dically causes the free end of the arm 42 to swing toward the frame of the instrument, the reverse movement of the arm 42 being eflected by the springs and 48. While arm 42 is being depressed the extension 41 thereon engages the depressor bar 48 to move the contactor 58 on the free end of this bar away from the stop 31 so that the shoe 38 can swing freely between the contactor and the stop 31. If, on the reverse motion of arm 42, the shoe has moved into the path of the contactor 58, the outward movement of the free end of the depressor bar is limited to the position shown in Fig. 7. Under these conditions the arm 42 on its continued forward motion will engage the pin 58 on the selector member 82, thereby swinging this member to its alternate position as shown-in Fig. 7, wherein extension- 58 is in the path of the-pin 88. If, however, the shoe 38 is out of the path of the contactor 58 on the free end of the depressor bar, the latter will con tinue to move forward and the pin 55 on the selector member 52 will strike against the fixed hook 58. The continued motion of the depressor bar 48 will then cause the selector cam 52 to rotate about its pivot 53 until theleft surface of its notch 55 strikes against pin 55, thereby stopping the forward motion of the depressor arm. The follower arm 42, depressor arm 48 and selector member 52 will then be in the position shown in Fig. 9 and the extension 59 will be in the path of pin 5| on lever 65.

Let it be assumed that the selector member 52 is positioned so that its extension 59 is in the path of the pin 60 as shown in Fig. 7. Thus when the-depressor arm 48 is depressed, it will force the pin and the lower end of the lever 52 toward the base of the instrument. This will be effective to elevate the pivot pin 11 on the other end of this lever. The lever I8 since it is pivotally connected to the lever and since it engages the fixed pivot pin 13, swings the pivot pin I9 outward. This elevates the lower ends 01' lever 55 and the pin 5| carried thereon. When the lower ends of the lever 52 are depressed, this lever elevates the bracket 65 and the arm 58 carried thereby. A pin 59 on the free end of the arm engages the slot 10 in the arm ll attached to the yoke I2. Thus the yoke 12 is swung to its depressed position wherein one or more mercury bottle-type of switches I6 are moved to one of their extreme positions.

Let it now be assumed that the selector member 52 is positioned so that its extension 59 is in the path of the pin 5|. When the depressor arm 48 is again depressed, the extension 58 on its selector member will depress the pin 5| on the lower end of lever 55. As previously explained, this results in swinging the lower end of lever 52 outward. The arm 58 at the upper end of lever 52 is depressed so that the yoke I2 is elevated and switches 15 are rocked to their alternate position. Thus when the contactor 50 engages the shoe 36 on the control arm, the switches 15 are moved to one position, whereas when the movement of the contactor 50 is not obstructed by the shoe 36, the switches 16 are moved to their other position. When the shoe 35 is just barely touching the contact plate 50 without interfering with the motion of the latter, the control arm '9 is in its normal control position corresponding to the desired con} trol point, and the pen arm I! moving in unison with the control arm will indicate the control point on the chart. In order to change the control point, the relative positions of pen arm and control arm may be varied by means of adjusting screw 80.

I claim:

1. In a control arrangement, a condition-responsive device including a movable index, ta depressor movable in a path intersecting the path of movement of said index and having two differ ent ranges of movement depending upon its contact with or absence of contact with said index, a reversible lever system includingtwo interacting levers, the depression of either of said levers ef fecting' the elevation of the other lever, actuating means selectively positioned in response to the particular range of movement of said depressor to depress a predetermined one of said levers, and mechanism. selectively actuated to different positions by the respective movement of said levers.

2. In a control arrangement, a condition-responsive device including a movable index, a depressor movable ina path intersecting the path of movement of said index and having two different ranges of movement depending upon its contact with or absence of contact with said index, a reversible lever system including two interacting levers, the depression of either of said levers effecting the elevation of the other lever, amember mounted on said depressor and selectively movable thereon to either of two positions in response to the range of movement of the depressor, and means in said levers engageable by said member in its respective positions to effect the respective depression of said levers.

3. In a control arrangement, a condition-responsive device including a movable index, a depressor movable in a path intersecting the path of movement of said index and having two different ranges of movement depending upon its contact with or absence of contact'with said index, a reversible lever system including two interacting levers mounted on a common axis, the depression of either of said levers effecting the elevation of the other lever, a member mounted on said depressor and selectively movable thereon to either of two positions in response to the range of movement oi the depressor, and projections on said levers.

4. In a control arrangement, a condition-responsive device including a movable index, a depressor movable in a path intersecting the path of movement of said index and having two different ranges of movement depending on its contact with or absence of contact with said member, a bell crank lever for periodically lowering said depressor, a member pivotally mounted on said depressor, a pin on said member in position to be engaged on one side by said lever, and on the other side by a fixed stop, the engagement of said pin by said lever serving to position the member in one position and the engagement of said pin by said stop serving to position said member in a second position, and means selectively adjusted in response to the respective positions in which said member is actuated.

5. In a control arrangement, a condition-responsive device including a movable index, a depressor movable in a path intersecting thepath of movement of 'said index and having two different ranges of movement-depending upon its contact with or absence of contact with said index, a reversible lever system including a first lever and a second lever mounted to rock about a common axis, pins projecting from the adjacent ends of said levers, a third lever having one end rocking about a fixed pivot and being pivotally connected at its other end to a point adjacent one end of said first-mentioned lever, said third lever being connected at an intermediate point thereon to an end portion of the second lever, said points of connection being located at opposite sides of said axis, and a member movable to alternate positions by the actuation of said levers.

6. In a control arrangement, a condition-responsive device including a movable index, a depressor movable in a path intersecting the path of movement of said index and having two different ranges of movement depending upon its contact with or absence of contact with said index, a re versible lever system including a first lever and a second lever mounted to rock about a common fixed axis, a third lever having one end rocking about ,a fixed axis, two pivotal connections to movable portions of said. third lever, said connections being respectively located at opposite sides of said fixed axis, one of said pivotal connections being to one end of said first lever and the other pivotal connection being to the opposite end of said second lever, and a. member movable to alternate positions by the actuation of said levers.

7. In a device of the class described, a condition-responsive mechanism, a member to be actuated, and protective means interconnecting said mechanism and said member, said means comprising two arms rotatably mounted, one of said arms being connected to said mechanism and the other arm being connected to said member, and

nected to said member, and resilient means normally maintaining said arms in a single predetermined angular relation.

9. In a device of the class described. a condition-responsive mechanism, a member to be actuated, and protective means interconnecting said mechanism and said member, said means comprising a first arm and a second arm mounted to rotate in superimposed relation, said first arm being connected to said mechanism and said second arm being connected to said member, a third arm rotatably mounted adjacent said first and said second arms, and resilient means normally causing said first arm to engage one side of said third arm and other resilient means normally causing said second arm to engage the other side of said third arm.

JULES A. mm. 

